China frees Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig after Huawei boss released
A diplomatic row between China and the West appears to be ending, after the release of two Canadians held in China and a Chinese tech executive in Canada.
Huawei
executive Meng Wanzhou, arrested on a US warrant in 2018, left Canada on Friday
in a deal with US prosecutors.
Hours later
it was announced that Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, accused of espionage
by China in the same year, were flying home to Canada.
Beijing
denies detaining the Canadians in retaliation for Ms Meng's arrest.
But critics
have accused China of using them as political bargaining chips.
The two men
had maintained their innocence throughout. At a news conference, Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau said they had been through "an unbelievably
difficult ordeal".
"It is
good news for all of us that they are on their way home to their
families," he added. "For the past 1,000 days, they have shown
strength, perseverance, resilience and grace."
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